The Great Eight

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (August 17, 2009) – The 45th Head Of The Charles Regatta, taking place on the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., October 17 and 18, will feature one of the greatest fields of elite rowers that this legendary Regatta has ever assembled, it was announced by race organizers today.

All six of the finalists from the 2008 Olympic Single Sculls event – Olaf Tufte (gold medal), Ondrej Synek (silver medal), Mahe Drysdale (bronze medal), Tim Maeyens (fourth), Alan Campbell (fifth) and Lassi Karonen (sixth) – will be joined by 2008 Olympic Double Sculls finalist Iztok Cop and Marcel Hacker, winner of the petite final at the 2008 Olympics – in an eight-man sweeps boat dubbed the "Great Eight."

The Great Eight will compete in the Championship Men's Eights race at the Head Of The Charles against a field that is scheduled to also have national team boats representing the United States, Great Britain and France.

The Regatta also announced that it will change its one-race rule that, until now has allowed each competitor to only register for and compete in one event in the Head Of The Charles. For Championship and Lightweight Events only, any rower who competes in the 2009 World Rowing Championship in Ponzan, Poland, will be allowed to compete in both a sculling boat (single or double) and a sweep boat (fours, eights).

"We've relaxed the one-race rule this year to give not only these world-class athletes the opportunity to compete in both sculling and sweeps events, but any of the rowers from this year's World Championship," said Schoch. "This will add excitement for the fans and all of the rowers involved as it gives them another chance to see some of the best rowers in the world battle the challenging Charles River course not once, but twice."

The Championship Eight is Sunday at 4pm.

2009 Tail of the Fish Pictures

Photos courtesy of Ellen Wolfe

Tail of the Fish Results

Varsity Boys Summary:
1st in the First Varsity 8+
1st in the Second Varsity 8+
1st in the Mixed 8+
2nd in the Varsity 1x
2nd in the Varsity 2x
4th in the Second Varsity 8+
5th in the Varsity 4+
15th in the Varsity 4+

Boys Jr 1x
1 Saratoga (Braga) 13:06
2 Niskayuna (Howe) 13:17
3 Saratoga (Stein) 13:30
4 Albany (Timmons) 13:40
5 Warwick (Balsamo) 13:45
6 Shenendehowa 14:26
7 Hudson River (Heaton) 14:28
8 Saratoga (Bossalini) 14:43
9 Saratoga (Levine) 14:44
10 Hudson River (Sovza) 14:49
11 Saratoga (Palumbo) 14:53
12 Warwick (Kates) 15:30
13 Saratoga (Anderson) 15:36
14 Northwood (Blondeau) 15:39
15 Bromfield (Ginouves) 15:59
16 Burnt Hills (Flacke) 15:59
Hudson River Scratch
Mohawk Scratch
Sagamore Scratch
Sagamore Scratch

Open Mixed 8+
1 Niskayuna 12:28
2 Hudson River 14:03
3 Queensbury 14:12

Boys Jr 2x
1 Bromfield 13:24
2 Niskayuna 13:26
3 Mohawk 13:34
4 Derryfield 13:51
5 Sagamore 14:03
6 Hudson River 14:17
7 Belmont Crew 14:39
8 Cazenovia 15:22
9 Shenendehowa 15:23
10 Saratoga 15:28
11 Saratoga 17:38
Saratoga Scratch

Boys Jr 4+
1 Northfield Mt Hermon 12:25
2 Shaker 12:39
3 Syracuse Chargers 12:42
4 Shenendehowa 12:42
5 Niskayuna A 12:47
6 Saratoga 12:48
7 Manhasset 12:48
8 Manhasset 13:02
9 Saratoga 13:02
10 Bromfield 13:03
11 Northfield Mt Hermon 13:17
12 Burnt Hills 13:20
13 Burnt Hills 13:37
14 Arlington 14:02
15 Niskayuna B 14:04
16 Hudson River 14:28
17 Chaminade 14:52
18 Hudson River 16:00
19 Northwood 16:15

Boys Junior 8+
1 Niskayuna A 12:08
2 Bromfield 12:21
3 Shaker 12:27
4 Arlington 12:33
5 Shrewsbury 12:34
6 Manhasset 12:35
7 Burnt Hills 12:37
8 Niskayuna B 12:56
9 Saratoga 12:59
10 Bromfield 13:37
11 Manhasset 13:37
12 Syracuse Chargers 13:45
13 Niskayuna C 13:45
14 Shenendehowa 13:51
15 Chaminade 13:53
16 Burnt Hills 14:00
17 Shrewsbury 14:06
18 Saratoga 14:16
19 Burnt Hills 16:03
20 Chaminade 16:39
21 Hudson River 18:00

Royal Henley Regatta - M8+

Pay attention to the puddle clearance between bow and stern.

Pulling Together Increases Your Pain Threshold

In the study, published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, researchers from the University of Oxford’s Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology found the pain threshold of 12 rowers from the Oxford Boat Race squad was greater after group training than after individual training.

They conclude that acting as a group and in close synchrony seems to ‘ramp up’ pain thresholds. The underlying endorphin release may be the mechanism that underpins communal-bonding effects that emerge from activities like religious rituals and dancing.

Each of the 12 rowers participated in four separate tests. They were asked to row continuously for 45 minutes in a virtual boat in the gym (as in normal training), in an exercise carried out in two teams of six and then in a separate session as individuals, unobserved by other team members. After each of the sessions, the researchers measured their pain threshold by how long they could stand an inflated blood pressure cuff on the arm.

The study found there was a significant increase in the rowers’ pain threshold following exercise in both individual and group sessions (a well established response to exercise of any kind). However, after the group training there was a significantly larger increase as compared with training carried out individually.

Since close synchrony is the key to successful competition-class racing, these results suggest that doing a synchronised activity as a group increases the endorphin rush that we get from physical exertion. The study says that since endorphins help to create a sense of bonhomie and positive effect, this effect may underlie the experience of warmth and belonging that we have when we do activities like dancing, sports, religious rituals and other forms of communal exercise together.

Professor Robin Dunbar, Head of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, said: ‘Previous research suggests that synchronised physical activity such as laughter, music and many religious activities makes people happier and is part of the bonding process. We also know that physical exercise creates a natural high through the release of endorphins. What this study shows us is that synchrony alone seems to ramp up the production of endorphins so as to heighten the effect when we do these activities in groups.’

Lead author Dr Emma Cohen, from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, said: ‘The results suggest that endorphin release is significantly greater in group training than in individual training even when power output, or physical exertion, remains constant. The exact features of group activity that generate this effect are unknown, but this study contributes to a growing body of evidence suggesting that synchronised, coordinated physical activity may be responsible.’

More Pictures From Schroon Training

Schroon Lake Training

Photos courtesy of Jack and Gail Shakeshaft